


Story of the Century

by navaan



Category: DCU (Comics)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, M/M, Mystery, POV Female Character, Secret Identity, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-29
Updated: 2014-12-29
Packaged: 2018-03-04 05:34:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2954144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/navaan/pseuds/navaan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lois and Jimmy have the story of the century right at their fingertips, but they know it's not their secret to tell. Doesn't mean Lois can't investigate. She's a reporter after all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Story of the Century

**Author's Note:**

> You can also read and comment on livejournal [here](http://navaan.livejournal.com/170584.html).

Lois just stares at the spot where a moment ago she saw Batman and Superman - taken away in the blink of an eye by Superman's superior strength, speed and abilities of flight now. There is no trace left of them in the light of a blue-skied Metropolis afternoon. Everything is back to normal, nothing out of the ordinary. And she's left gaping, not quite believing what she's just seen. But, wow, would it explain a lot about Clark, about Batman, about the Justice League – and the way the two of them are constantly caught bickering the few times they appeared in public together. No, actually this is making sense now that the surprise is allowing her to think more clearly again. _So_ much sense.

Beside her Jimmy is still gaping, open mouthed. “Did they...” he starts. “They were... Oh god, I mean they didn't see...”

“Jimmy, dear, I think they were both pretty occupied with _other things_ when we stepped out on the roof. I wouldn't worry too much about that. They didn't notice us.”

“Why would they..?”

“Be kissing?” Lois asks dryly. “I think that would be self-evident, Jimmy.”

“But here? Why on the rooftop of our work place? They both know we're a newspaper, for god's sake! Anybody could have -” he breaks off, sounding desperate and a little lost; perhaps the confusion is getting to him.

Only then does Lois realize that he's holding his camera in front of him like a shield.

“Jimmy?” she asks. “You didn't? Did you just...? I can't believe it.”

He shrugs, uncertain and a little panicked., perhaps not even sure if in his surprise he'd actually pushed the release button and caught this memorable moment on camera.

“Jimmy-boy, if you've just taken the picture of the century, I hope you're prepared to face Batman when he gets wind of it.” She grins at him like a shark and starts laughing when he pales in reaction to her words, looking like he's going to faint. 

He's Superman's pal – but who was going to protect him from tall, dark and brooding, when Superman was his lover?

Lois couldn't stop grinning at the absurdity of it all.

* * *

Lois spends her morning watching Clark closely. She takes a sip from her steaming hot coffee – black and without sugar, the way she likes it when she needs time to formulate a plan of action – and looks at him hard across her desk. When he catches her staring he smiles questioningly, and she knows that means he has no idea what has happened, that Lois Lane is on to him. Apparently even beings with super-hearing occasionally miss the heartbeats of two other people coming up on them when they're caught up in making out with their boyfriend.

Batfriend. Boyfriend. Lover. She still had to figure out what the right term is there.

Is the Bat even the kind of guy who has relationships? _Actual_ relationships? With _people_? A relationship with their _Clark_ , who is decent and honest and lovely?

There have been sleazy rumors about Batman, of course, – ever since he's taken on all these young boys and girls to train. Lois never believed any of it. Knowing Clark as well as she does, it was just unimaginable that he would work with someone like Batman if any of it were true. How could Superman ever work with someone who would do something unspeakable like that? Would a farm boy from Smallville ever stand for it?

Of course not. And he wouldn't be caught kissing someone like that either.

So she isn't worried per se. Clark knows this man, probably better than she ever will. He knows what he's doing. He's Superman and a big boy and he can look after himself.

But that still doesn't mean Batman is the best of lovers. If he _were_ Clark would have said something to her already. Love moves in the strangest ways and might make you blind to a person's faults for a while, but not forever. And something is going on there. Does Batman not want anyone to know? Is it Clark who has second thoughts?

She ponders that while Clark spills Earl Grey over his desk and goes through the usual dance of being Clark Kent, wonderful reporter, exasperating klutz and amazing friend. Not Superman, but still her best friend. There is no question about the fact that he would do anything to protect her. If he thinks she's in over her head, he warns her.

Is he in over his head now? She watches him swipe away the tea, chewing on a pencil.

There are so many unanswered questions and it is in her nature to want answers to all of them. But Clark isn't saying anything. In fact there is no indication that anything in his life has changed at all. _That_ raises a ton of new questions. First and foremost: How long has this been going on right under her nose? 

The picture is lovely though. If it ever got out, it surely would make the front page, probably break the Internet, but she can't allow that. And the lucky photographer agrees with her there. Jimmy is jittery and wants her to do something about this mess that isn't even a mess yet.

They should tell Clark what has happened – that they know. Or at the very least they should tell Superman, as Jimmy won't know that there's a difference.

But Jimmy is so embarrassed he just can't.

Lois tells him to just delete it, but Jimmy looks at her unhappily. “It's a good picture.” And they are both in the business. They know what a picture like that could be worth, but more importantly and beyond the money it could earn, what it could mean one day, when these two heroes decide to write history by letting the world know.

So her new secret star photographer spends the next few days nervously fiddling with his camera and looking over his shoulder wherever he goes. Lois is taking pity on him and buys him a sandwich at lunch break on Wednesday, when it becomes too painful to watch. She smiles a reassuring little smile and reminds him: “We're sitting on the story of the century here, but nobody knows, Jimmy. Nobody is on to us. And obviously we can't tell anyone.”

The left corner of his lips raises in a tired half-grin. “Too bad, right? If the Planet was one of these yellow rags, I'd hit the jackpot now.”

“If you weren't Superman's pal, you would have perhaps. Too bad you're too decent to do that to him.” 

“Yeah,” he says and takes a bite of his sandwich. He takes his time to chew with a far-away look. “You're right, of course, Lois, I should just delete the picture. Not sure I'm comfortable with it just sitting on my hard drive.”

“You know, I was joking about Batman coming to threaten you, right?” Lois nearly laughs at the way Jimmy's face scrunches up.

“Were you?” Jimmy doesn't look like he believes her. “Perhaps we should finally tell Mr. Kent. He'll know what to do.”

Jimmy doesn't know that is as good as telling Superman himself and thus alerting Batman, of course. But telling Clark would be the right thing to do, Lois feels. She's just not sure if things are as simple. Normally Clark talks to her. Under normal circumstances she would know all about this. But this time something is different. This time she really needs to wait for him to come to her. It's not in her nature to not follow a lead, to go to the source and get the information. Only this time she'll be patient.

But, boy, does she want to tease him about all this _right now_.

She'll be patient for a little while. A _little_ while.

* * *

“So, Kansas, any plans for Saturday night?” she asks and gathers the papers strewn across her desk, smiling to herself. How do superhero relationships even work? Do they meet on the job only? Have they set up a schedule to fit in their secret meetings? Do they have a room in their Justice League H.Q.? Do the other heroes know about this?

She's sure that they don't, simply because if it was something trusted people were allowed to know, Clark would have told her, too.

“No plans,” he says. “Why are you asking?”

“No reason.” She goes on watching him and he stares at her as if he can't figure her out. 

He can't.

She can't either. 

Damn.

* * *

“You should ask Cheryl out.”

“What?” Clark looks up with a crease between his eyes, confused, maybe not sure if he heard her right. Trust him to hear a scream for help from the other side of the planet and not listen to you while you are standing right in front of him.

“Cheryl. From accounting. She likes you.”

His eyes widen comically as if the mere thought of it is incomprehensible. “You know why that's a bad idea, Lois.”

She throws up her arms, nearly knocking over the Wonder Woman cup she uses as pencil holder. “Yes, _yes_ , apparently I know all about it,” she says exasperated. Everything would be so much easier if Clark would just reveal his secret to her.

It's just that it seems he won't.

* * *

“If you had a story that you knew would be _the_ story, one of those things that would break big time, but it would make some private details public... You know? Something like that? What would you do, Mr. Kent?” Jimmy looks flustered, trying to ask the question he wants to ask without asking.

Clark is occupied with organizing the papers that are scattered around his desk. But he looks up to frown at Jimmy. “Is something wrong, Jimmy? Are you in trouble?”

“No, no! Just hypothetically. If you knew something, could prove it, but had second thoughts...”

“You'll have second thoughts for a reason. I trust you to examine them and make the right decision whatever it is.”

As he's gone back to his work, Clark doesn't see the effect his words have on Jimmy. The boy is floored. 

She meets his eyes as he looks over at her helplessly and shrugs.

When Clark is gone, flimsy excuse on the tip of his tongue and careful not to make a too quick dash for the door, probably saving the world before she has even time to put down the pencil she's been chewing on, she says: “I'll call my contact in Gotham. We need to see a man about a picture.”

She's waited a little while. But enough is enough. Time to make room for an interview.

* * *

Jimmy is nervous. His hands have been shaking since they left the Daily Planet Building. It's been getting worse since they've arrived in Gotham. The city is dark, even before night falls, grimmer and dirtier. Even the traffic sounds different. She can immediately see why this city would have need of a different kind of hero.

Commissioner Gordon is waiting for her, looks Jimmy over as if he's a kid that has been tagging along and has no place in this. But he focuses on the camera before he says: “He won't like that.”

“We're not here for a photo session,” she says. “We need to talk to him.”

“About what?”

Jimmy looks at her, pale.

“We've come by some evidence that he might want to... see,” she says, drawing out the last word and asking herself why she could not have just walked up to Clark's desk instead and said: “Looked like Batman had his tongue down your throat there. So what's the scoop? Anything you want to spill?” It might have been less awkward than going to this length just to meet his boyfriend.

“Evidence?”

“We need to contact him,” she repeated, unwilling to give any details.

“We're not his PR agency, Miss Lane. As far as the GCPD is concerned, he doesn't exist. You want to interview an urban legend, we're not who you call.” The way his mouth twists into a displeased half-smile and then settles into a thin line reminds her of the general. In his position her father never has no time for being questioned either. She supposes if you're the Commissioner in a corrupt and dangerous city like Gotham you don't have time for fending off the more eccentric inquires of the press either.

But this isn't about the police at all. This is about her friend and she wants to see it through. “So if I'd be to, say, walk up to the roof of this building there wouldn't be anything at all I could use to contact him with?”

Gordon stares her down hard, his mustache moving comically as he tries to settle on an expression. “I have a daughter,” he informs her as if that's in any way connected to what they are discussing. “She informs me that I can't stop her from doing what she want when she's made up her mind.”

Oh. That is way too easy.

“If he's uncooperative don't come crying to me,” he says in a voice that reminds her of her dad again. He turns to leave, but over his shoulder tells them in a warning tone: “If he ends up pushing you over the side of the building, we'll put it down as suicide and close the case.” He mutters something more under his breath and leaves them alone in a silent corridor in front of his office, not one detective or officer in sight. 

Jimmy stares at her, insecure and still nervous. “This is stupid.”

“Don't you want to interview Batman about his love life?” Lois asks. “Every reporter's dream, Jimmy.”

The squeaking sound Jimmy makes is answer enough.

She laughs.

* * *

He swoops down onto the roof like a ghost, his cape flapping behind him and still he makes next to no noise like a ghost and then remains in the shadows. She can't make out any details of his face or costume, just sees a moving shadow with a black mask. It brings a smirk to her face. This is why he has a reputation and he lives up to it.

“Ms. Lane,” he says, voice gravelly and deep and just with a hint of menace. 

It's so unlike Superman, unlike Clark, that it's bordering on ridiculous.

Jimmy takes a step back, intimidated. It's cute, considering that Jimmy has faced his share of dangerous people, aliens and killing robots. He's not a coward and he does what he can to help, even when he's just a young man with a camera trying to help Superman. But this is different and that's why Jimmy is nervous. There is no monster to face here in the shadows. Just a different kind of hero and one of the more unpredictable ones.

“Batman,” she says in her best no-nonsense voice that usually works on even her most seedy informants. There is no way of telling if it has any effect on Batman.

“Kal wondered when you were going to come clean about the picture.”

Jimmy squeaks: “You know?!”

And Lois get a glimpse of something that very likely not many people get to see – and then probably even fewer get to see it and walk away. Batman grins at them, a smug little smirk beneath the mask that covers most of his face. 

“Of course, you knew,” she states. “They say you're a detective. The question is why didn't you just get rid of it?”

“Superman said I could trust you to make the right decision.”

“I knew we should have told Superman!” Jimmy grumbles. Apparently his confidence is returning now that he doesn't need to fear Batman's reaction to their little discovery. He reaches into his coat pocket and takes out a memory card, nervously looking at it before holding out his arm. When Batman doesn't move he makes a step forward and says quietly: “It's the only copy.”

And then Batman moves again, just a step, but the way his cape moves with him is so precise and fluid, that Lois just knows it is all studied, trained and calculated. Jimmy shivers, but holds his ground and then they can really see the man in the dark costume as he steps out of the dark and takes the little card.

“You didn't tell Superman. And you're here. So I'm sure the picture isn't the only concern.”

Lois smile widens. “I was told you're smart.”

“You turn out to be just as reckless as _people_ say,” he says, not smiling this time. 

She thinks that maybe he's wearing more than one mask. Maybe he doesn't even know it. She's seen these slight differences in Clark and Superman and Kal too often to miss it. He's not fully himself when he's Superman, he's not fully himself when he's Clark around people who don't know his secret – and sometimes even the person he is when he doesn't have to pretend keeps things to himself. Batman can't be too different. So Lois smiles instead and says: “I had some concerns I wanted to voice here. Just as a friend. But I think that maybe I'm learning more about you as we're standing here and... well, maybe this doesn't need saying. But I want to make clear that we're Superman's friends. We keep his secrets if we have to and we can keep yours. We just want him to be happy. We don't need to understand why _you_ make him happy and we understand that asking him about it would maybe put him in the uncomfortable situation that he wouldn't be able to tell us.”

Batman hasn't moved a muscle. He's still standing there watching her, maybe staring. It's hard to tell with his eyes hidden by the mask. She can see why he's intimidating even when he doesn't do anything. But she knows underneath the black get up he is not like Clark. He's just a man – and maybe that's exactly what gives him the edge.

“So, I just have one question,” she says, loud and clear. Jimmy looks uncomfortable, like he thinks they shouldn't push their luck and leave before things go downhill. “If this wasn't just a spur of the moment thing, then do you really care for him?”

She doesn't ask about love. There is no point in reaching too far. This relationship might be very new, it might have gone on for some time, there was absolutely no way to tell. One day Clark might tell her on his own and then she'll know it would last for sure.

Batman shifts his weight a little, the subtle shift from one leg to the other, cape rustling a bit and somehow that makes all the difference: Suddenly and impossibly with the little his costume allows her to see of him and his body language, he looks more relaxed. It's an answer in its own right.

“That a yes then?” she asks.

“I care for him,” he says, not the grudging whisper she expected at all, but a loud and sure admission.

She hopes somewhere out there a certain Kryptonian has been listening in to make sure how this goes. This might be exactly the treat he deserves.

“Thank you,” she says and beams. Jimmy is nearly gaping at her. “People say you're difficult, but this was a very nice interview.” She gestures for Jimmy to follow her. Their business has been wrapped up. Batman has the picture, they don't have a story any more, but they have an understanding. 

“See you around,” she shoots over her shoulder, but when she looks he is gone.

She huffs. How typical.

Heroes. They all think they're cute.

* * *

Back in the office next morning, Clark says: “It's a very nice picture,” as way of greeting.

She hits him over the head with a rolled up paper, grinning when he starts laughing, looking altogether happy and relaxed.

“You could have said something.”

He smiled. “I wanted to give you room to do what you thought was best.”

“Thank you.” She stems her fists against her hips and gives him a mock glare. “You just wanted me to meet the boyfriend.”

Clark smiles and turns away to his desk. “Maybe I wanted him to meet you. Properly.”

“Uh huh. I hope he's less gloomy under all the dark layers.” She sits down at her own desk. She needs to type up something before she forgets.

“He's fun to argue with,” Clark mumbles.

Lois laughs out loud, forgetting all about her work again for the moment. “ _That_ I can believe.” When she looks over Clark isn't even looking at her, hunched over his desk and sorting notes again. “I'm glad for you,” she whispers under her breath, knowing full well that he can hear her without problem. “Not what I expected, but he seems nice.”

Clark doesn't turn around, but she can see his smile reflected in the window opposite of him.

At lunch break Jimmy rushed up to them. “Mr. Kent are you coming with us to lunch?”

“Not today Jimmy. I have to meet someone... about a... picture,” he says with a straight face.

“Good luck,” Lois tells him. “Say hi for me.”

Clark nods gravely before taking his coat and going out.

“Do you think he has a secret girl friend? He's always sneaking away at lunch time lately,” Jimmy asks her on the way to the elevator.

“With Clark Kent it's probably much better than that,” she tells him and winks, stepping into the elevator before him.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Exclusive (The Story of the Century Remix)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4216758) by [htbthomas](https://archiveofourown.org/users/htbthomas/pseuds/htbthomas)




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